Lady Eagles to rely on experience

Lady Eagles to rely on experience
October 29, 2007

By Brett Cooper
Williams Baptist SID

WALNUT RIDGE - The Lady Eagles basketball team at Williams Baptist College will have a core of experienced players as it gets its 2007-08 campaign underway. The season begins Saturday, Nov. 3, as Williams hosts Blue Mountain for a Homecoming match-up.

"We have three returning starters from last year’s team, and we have added a junior college transfer point guard. We also have three additional players that return this year. We have a nucleus to work from in terms of knowing the system and what we’re trying to do," Coach Carol Halford said.

Seniors Nomsi Shezi, a 5'11" forward, and Sequita Hightower, a 5'7" guard, highlight returners for the Lady Eagles, along with sophomore Brittney Jones, 5'9", who can play either a guard or forward spot.

Junior Janet Penrod and 6'5" senior Danielle Muniz will also contribute valuable experience to the squad, along with sophomores Jodie Walsh and Ann Whiteside.

The coach is confident she has a solid recruiting class to work with, as well. Williams brought in seven new players for this year, including point guard Kelsey Smith, 5'7", a transfer from North Arkansas College, who provides further collegiate experience to the WBC squad.

"I anticipate having some relief inside and more athletic people on the perimeter, but we didn’t get off to a good start due to two early injuries," she noted.

Two of the Lady Eagles’ newcomers, Maria Flores, a 6'4" junior center from Guadalajara, Mexico, and Lavisha Washington, a 5'7" freshman from Little Rock, both went down to ACL injuries in October and will have to redshirt this year.

"If we can keep the remainder healthy, we will be competitive," Halford said. "Offensively, we will be able to run a more up-tempo game."

Freshmen on the Lady Eagles squad this season include Dez Jones, a 5'9" guard from Rivercrest High School, and 5'11" forward Marisa Johnson out of Riverside High School. Amanda Moore, 5'7", of Pocahontas, and Jessica Anglin, 5'6", of Hoxie also bring their talents to the team.

WBC has 30 games on its schedule this season, which is a few more than usual, meaning the Lady Eagles will have to build some endurance. "We have three classics this year where we play on back-to-back days. We hope to gain in strength and conditioning, and we hope to mesh as a team," the coach noted.

Halford is especially pleased with the team chemistry she has observed so far. "Our teams always function well together, but this group really gets along well on and off the court," she said.

The season tips off Saturday when the Lady Eagles take on Blue Mountain at 2:00 p.m. in WBC’s Southerland-Mabee Center. Their next home game will be Nov. 13, when they host Lyon at 6:00 p.m.

For more information on this season’s schedule or roster, go to www.williamsbaptistcollege.com/athletics.